Family Snippets
by puck's musings
Summary: Grell and Sebastian experience the ups and downs of that crazy thing called parenthood.


**Author's Note**: This is basically an AU where everything is the same but Grell has the body she wants, (a body that will allow her to conceive/carry a child) so the little hellspawn featured in this story are her and Sebastian's biological children. This was written for a friend and is purely self-indulgent fluff, so proceed at your own risk!

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**News**

When Sebastian opens the door and sees Grell standing soaked to the bone in the threshold, he wonders what could possibly be so important that she'd risk ruining her makeup to come tell him about it. Grell takes a deep breath and locks eyes with Sebastian, and for once, there is not a hint of seduction in her face, not even a trace of the reaper's usual playfulness.

"Sebastian," she says to him. "I'm pregnant."

**Home**

Ciel begrudgingly allows Sebastian to build a house for Grell to stay with the baby during the first few months of its life, as she insists it would be cruel to take the infant to live with her in the reaper realm and deprive it of its father. In no time at all, a little red house is constructed on the manor grounds.

**Needle **

Grell is more than eager to try her hand at making baby clothes, but she's barely poked the thread through the eye of the needle before she pricks herself. Sebastian tells her she should practice on actually mastering the art of sewing before she attempts to create a garment for their baby.

**Gown**

"Four months. I'm only four months along and already I don't fit into my favorite gown anymore. What am I going to do when I get invited to parties? I suppose I'll have to wear my nasty old trousers." Grell flops onto the sofa in a huff, and Sebastian smiles before procuring an elegant scarlet gown from the closet.

**Illness**

Grell's morning sickness is by far the most unpleasant experience she's ever had in her life. She's barely woken up before she finds herself vomiting up vile black gunk, and hopes with all her heart this isn't a sign there's something wrong with the baby.

**Kick**

They're sitting on the bed together, Grell reclining against Sebastian's chest, their hands resting on Grell's swollen abdomen. Sebastian is starting to nod off when he feels something pushing at him. It's gone after a moment and it isn't until he looks down at Grell and sees her eyes widen with wonderment and joy that he realizes what it was.

**Born **

Sebastian receives a call in the middle of the night from Ronald, who took Grell to the hospital in the reaper realm two nights ago. He can scarcely understand Ronald because the boy is babbling a mile a minute, but he manages to catch the important bits. It's a girl. Twelve kilograms. She's got a headful of black hair. Her name is Sybella. _Sybella. _Sebastian whispers the name he and Grell chose for their baby-if it turned out to be a girl-and thinks it's the most beautiful sound he's ever heard.

**Cry**

Sybella is hardly a week old and already has the lung capacity to give most opera singers a run for their money.

**A Niece**

The residents of Phantomhive Manor immediately fawn over baby Sybella, and Agni excitedly asks Sebastian if he can be Sybella's 'Uncle Agni'. Sebastian pauses before deciding there are worse things than allowing a human to call himself the uncle of Sebastian's half-demon infant.

**Lullaby **

Night has thrown her inky blankets over the manor, and Grell is sitting in Sybella's nursery, gently rocking her daughter's cradle. She begins to sing a lullaby about warm summer breezes and fragrant rose gardens and December snowfalls, and she's barely into the third verse before she notices Sybella is fast asleep.

**First Conversation**

After placing the baby on his and Grell's bed, Sebastian leans in so that his and Sybella's faces are inches apart.

"Hello sweetheart," he says the the softest voice he's ever used. "Can you find Dada?"

Sybella coos, and a tiny hand reaches out and touches Sebastian's face.

"What a smart girl you are," he says, and places a kiss on Sybella's forehead. "I'm right here."

**Cake**

Six months to the day Sybella is born, Grell decides they simply _must _throw a half-birthday party for her. Much to Sebastian's shock, Ciel is delighted with the idea, and it isn't until he catches his young master trying to sneak a piece of Sybella's cake that Sebastian realizes why the boy was so eager to throw 'that smelly nuisance' a half-birthday party.

**Missing**

Just before Sebastian begins his daily chores he heads to the little red house to check on Sybella. When he's greeted by an empty cradle he can feel his heart drop. Sebastian scours every nook and cranny of the house, and when his search yields no satisfactory results, he dashes into the manor house. He hears laughter coming from the kitchen and finds Agni quickly raising Sybella up into the air before bringing her back down to repeat the action as Sybella screeches with delight. Sebastian breathes a sigh of relief and leaves the happy pair to their little game.

**Talk**

"Ma-ma." It isn't the first word Sybella's spoken-that would be 'stab' and God knows where she picked that up-but it's the first time she's ever said 'ma-ma', and Grell holds her baby tightly, happy tears trickling down her cheeks and onto Sybella's silky black hair.

**Another Go**

"Darling," Grell purrs, tugging at a strand of Sebastian's hair.

"Yes?"

"I've been thinking. I know it's only been a little over a year since we've had Sybella, but…well…I'd think I'd like to try for another baby."

**Crave**

Grell's horrific morning sickness has returned, but a little investigation of cases where reapers have carried demons' offspring-to her and Sebastian's surprise, little Sybella and her unborn sibling are not the only ones of their kind to have existed-reveals that this is simply the mother's body's reaction to carrying a half-demon fetus. Strawberries are the only thing Grell is able to keep down, and she devours them by the dozen. Sebastian jokes if she eats any more of them she'll end up giving birth to a strawberry, and Grell hurls one of the tart red fruits at him.

**What's in a Name**

They've been debating over potential baby names for over three hours and they're no closer to picking one than when they started.

"I like Christine. It's such an elegant name, and we could call her Chrissy for short!"

"We are _not _naming our half-demon child _Christine_. And what makes you so sure it's a girl?"

"Mother's instinct." Grell smirks triumphantly and rubs her belly, and Sebastian knows there's no point in arguing with her.

**Envy**

When Meridiana-Grell admitted naming an infernal infant 'Christine' _was _rather ridiculous-is brought back from the hospital, Sybella takes an instant disliking to this loud, wriggling thing that has taken both her mother's and father's attention away from her. Sebastian has Meridiana in his lap when Sybella totters up to him and proceeds to scream in her new sister's face.

**Bath**

Running her hand under the faucet to make sure the temperature is just right, Grell then places Meridiana's head under the water and proceeds to wash her new baby's crimson hair. Meridiana fusses for a bit, but once Grell starts massaging her head, she makes pleased little mewls, and grabs eagerly at the water.

**Blood**

According to Grell, nothing says springtime more than dressing up one's daughters in the frilliest dresses possible and laying them on a bed of dozens of rose petals in the hopes they'll keep still long enough to take a picture. Sebastian and Grell have their backs turned for approximately two seconds when they hear an ear-splitting shriek and see Sybella with her mouth clamped on her little sister's hand. Sebastian quickly frees Meridiana and whisks her away to clean the droplets of blood trickling down her arm.

**Night Out**

"I'm so glad you agreed to take me out for the evening, darling. Not that I don't want to spend as much time as I can with our little treasures, but I _do _think a little break from them would be nice."

Grell has her arm linked with Sebastian's, and she's dressed in her nicest evening gown, her hair done in an elegant updo. They're on their way to an opera, as Sebastian decided both of them needed a night away from their unruly daughters. After entrusting the babies to the care of 'Uncle Agni', Grell and Sebastian are on their way to the opera house, looking forward to a long evening spent in each other's company.


End file.
